At the turn of the 21st century Chip Conley’s Joie de Vivre Hospitality firm operated 20 boutique hotels in the San Francisco Bay Area — the place to be during the dot-com boom. But, when the bubble burst — and was followed by the 9/11 tragedy and SARS scare — the travel industry was turned upside down. Given Joie de Vivre’s geographic concentration, no American hotelier was more vulnerable.Â
Seeking inspiration and relief, Conley turned to the work of psychologist Abraham Maslow — renowned for his research into the motivations of healthy, happy and successful people. Guided by Maslow’s theory that “peak experiences” lead to self-actualization, set to work restoring Joie de Vivre’s success. Conley’s book applies Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to real life business practices — making peak experiences accessible to everyone.